A Prince on a Horse
by Violentredroses
Summary: A childish hope becomes real when Lily goes by the water and finds a man with a white horse. Witch!AU TommyxOFC
1. Chapter 1

_Nana had been old for as long as Lily could remember. Even when she was a baby, she remembered the old crone moving about the cottage slowly and complaining about her eyesight. Her mother told her that was what happened when a witch had The Sight. Their premonitions and visions become clearer as their physical sight fades away. This was why every year at The Fair, people of Birmingham lined up for a chance to have their fortune told by 'Old Nana'. The skeptics called her a fraud, but the believers said she was gifted by God. All the Cary women laughed at this notion. Her mother said The Sight didn't come from God nor was she a charlatan. She told Lily their gifts came from a long line of witches, starting in the medieval period when they hunted witches._

" _That's how covens were formed," she said as she tucked Lily in bed. "Witches realized they couldn't be alone anymore. They needed to protect each other if they wanted to survive."_

" _Is that why we live out here?" Lily asked._

" _Not entirely, but yes," she nodded._

 _However, Lily grew curious about it herself. Only nine-years-old, she waited until her mother left for the chicken coop and made for the workshop adjacent to the cabin. Smelling of incense and cluttered with books, bottles and other items, Nana was threading a pouch at the table when she suddenly stopped. Nana lost most of her vision by this time, but her other senses were sharper than knives. She smiled to herself, putting down her needle and the pouch._

" _What's troubling you?" she asked Lily._

" _Can I ask you something, Nana?" she took a seat at the table, toying with the end of her dress._

" _Of course."_

" _Will you read my fortune?"_

 _Nana laughed gleefully, "Oh dear girl, why would you want your fortune read for? You haven't even experienced the world yet. You're only a baby still."_

" _Doesn't mean I don't want to know my future," she held out her palm, "Please, Nana? Please?"_

 _Nana sighed, sensing Lily's palm in front of her. "Alright," she said, "Just the one. Let's see what we can found out about Little Lily." She began massaging Lily's hand, her rough fingertips touching the delicate skin._

" _Don't you need a knife, Nana?" she recalled her grandmother always making a small cut in the person's hand. "Doesn't that make it easier to see?"_

" _It does," she nodded, still feeling her hand, "But I won't cut you, precious. I don't need to." She stayed silent, her white eyes staring into nothing as she trailed her fingertips up and down Lily's hand. She stopped at certain points, and focused on others. She grinned widely. "Life has something special in mind for you."_

" _What? What is it?"_

" _A man…A man with a white horse…" she said, "He's…I can't see him, but he's there. A-A tortured soul he is, yes, but with the ambitions of a Prince. Yes, yes a Prince soon to be King."_

" _Mother, what are you doing?" Her mother asked from the other room. She held the headless chicken in her hand as she took a seat by the fire and began plucking._

" _I'm reading her fortune," Nana said, "Now, hush." She continued touching Lily's hand, and then said, "He will co-come on his white horse and make you his Princess."_

" _I'm going to be a Princess?!" Lily beamed, "Mummy, did you hear that?! I'm going to be a Princess!"_

 _Her mother laughed, auburn hair tucked into a bun behind her head and slender fingers plucking the chicken feathers, "Oh a Princess, huh? I hope it's soon. Then we don't have to kill our own chickens anymore."_

" _I said hush!" Nana repeated, still feeling Lily's hand. "You'll live in a palace and have a little prince-"_

" _-Mother, that's enough," Mummy said._

" _I'm not finished."_

" _She needs to go to the well and get water," Her mother said. "Lily, love, would you go get water and put it in the pot for me, please?"_

" _But Nana was just telling me-"_

" _-She can tell you more another time," her mother interrupted again. "Go to the well, now."_

" _Gah! Your mother's no fun," Nana hissed and let go of Lily's hand. She picked up her thread and pouch again, "I suppose that's enough fortunes for one day. Go to the well, darling."_

 _Lily smiled at her and slipped off the lounge. She skipped outside to the well, thinking of her prince on a white horse. He'd be tall and handsome, with eyes that made her insides twist and a smile that made her heart flutter. She wondered if he'd be gifted like her. Visions of rides in the forest and sitting by the water at night filled her head as she cranked the bucket back up the well, and then carefully took it back to the house. It'd only been on her way back that she heard them._

" _You shouldn't have done that," she heard her mother say. "You'd just put ideas in her head."_

" _I see what I see, and I say what I see," Nana replied. "She can take what I tell her and do what she will. History isn't set in stone. Maybe she never meets this prince and you spend the rest of your days plucking your own chickens."_

" _Oh very funny," her mother said. "She's a little girl, Mother. She might be like us, but she's still only a child."_

" _Even children can dream for something better, Lydia. I recall you having a similar reading in your cards."_

 _Her mother didn't speak. "It said nothing about a white horse or a prince. It only said she'd find a great love one day. I don't even know how accurate that can be. A great love can mean anything."_

" _I saw a white horse and a man of great standing," Nana said, "And that's what I said."_

" _You said 'prince', Mother. Don't tell me you lied to her."_

" _Of course not! I said 'prince' because people view him as one; even more so when he becomes a king amongst his people." She paused, "You know they call Albert Shelby a king, and he's not royalty."_

" _Far from it," her mother grumbled. "I'm-I'm not having this conversation anymore. Just keep stitching the pouch and let me pluck the chicken, okay?"_

" _Fine. Have it your way, but you know I'm right. I saw one of the Shelby boys. I know I did."_

" _You didn't see anyone, Mother."_

" _I know I did! I don't know which one, but if anybody's a damn prince it's them!"_

" _You saw nobody, Mother! Leave it at that."_

 _The Shelby boys? Lily had no idea who they spoke of, but they must be important. Lily readjusted the bucket in her hand and reentered the cabin.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

"It might not be the best idea to go down by the lake," Esme said, "Especially if Erasmus and his brothers are there. You know they don't like being around you. You scare them."

Lily laughed, "War veteran Erasmus Lee is afraid of me? That's funny."

Esme Lee followed her down the hill towards the large body of water. It was a gorgeous day out, and Lily wouldn't miss the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and the fresh breeze. Unfortunately for her, the oncoming month of The Fair brought with it the Lee family. A group of travelling Romani, they profited by telling their own fortunes and doing their own tricks. Superstitious folk like the Lee family didn't take kindly to witches, so her mother told her. Not only did witches invade their territory, but also took a lot of their customers. To Lily, it was the Lees who were the invaders. Nana said they were nothing but a bunch of swindlers and imposters of magic. She claimed in the old days, before covens, the Romani used to give out the names of witches whenever witch hunters caught them. They'd do it to save their own skins. Many witches died because of them. Nana absolutely hated them; her mother even more. Lily supposed she felt the same. The only one she liked was Esme, a girl with chestnut hair and matching eyes. Esme wasn't afraid or wary of the Cary women. She knew they weren't evil, cackling devil worshippers with black cats.

"I'm only telling you," Esme warned as they both drew closer to the lake. Lily could smell the water coming through the incoming breeze. She inhaled it deeply. Lily hadn't been by the water in a while. She usually stayed near the cabin surrounded by trees and shrubs. Not that she minded the forest, but she did like getting the earthy air out of her lungs. The trees could be stifling sometimes. She walked barefoot across the grass, feeling the soft blades between her toes. The tiny rocks and leaves never bothered her. She supposed her ancestry had something to do with that. "I don't think you want to go back home with a black eye."

"They wouldn't hit me," she said. "They'd be too scared. They think I'd turn them into frogs or something."

Esme chuckled, "Not like you could do that anyways…right?"

Lily saw the tinge of worry in her friend's brown eyes. They were similar to her own, except darker. She smirked, "I can't, but then again, Erasmus doesn't know that."

They laughed together as they reached the lake shore. Esme kicked off her heels while Lily walked into the shallows. The faint scent of burning wood caught in the winds along with the sounds of distant voices. She looked the other way and saw Erasmus Lee with his two brothers sitting by a fire. She figured they were too busy cooking in the pot above the fire to notice her. Two caravans parked on the side of the road and a tent close by, a familiar figure hung about the three Lees.

"Is that Johnny Doggs?" Lily asked Esme.

"Yeah," she nodded, coming deeper into the water, "He's running with us now. He's pretty funny actually."

"I wonder what made him leave the O'Brien clan," she said.

"Disagreement, he said," Esme told her. "I didn't ask what it was about."

The water felt refreshing around her feet. A chill went up her body that brought goosebumps on her skin. She grinned, letting the sun shine warmth down on her. The world was different away from the cabin. It was open and free. Lily loved her home, no doubts about that. She loved her little work bench, Mum's chicken stews and Nana's incense, but she wanted more. She wanted to see more of the world. She talked about going into town nearby, and Mum immediately shut her down. She said the more prominent they made themselves, the more likely they would be found. It was bad enough that all the travelling clans suspected them of witchcraft.

' _Now imagine a witch hunter finding out about these rumors! Please stay with us, Lily. You're safe here at home.'_

The child in her wondered how she could meet her prince on a white horse if she never went anywhere new. That had been ages ago.

"Ready?" Lily asked, looking at Esme beside her.

Esme nodded and the two of them stripped to their chemises, leaving their dresses in bundles by the water. The sun was heaven on her freckled skin. The forest canopies only allowed a small bit of sunlight through their leaves. Being out by the lake, she could only relish in the feeling. The cool feel of the water splashing above her thighs only enticed her more. Lily untied her auburn hair from its braid and tossed the band with her clothes. Without warning, she ran into the deeper part of the lake and dove right into the water. Esme jumped in right after her. When she came up, she felt clean. Her feet sunk in the dirt under the lake, and her chemise was completely transparent. Lily didn't care for one moment.

"This feels amazing," Lily said. "I wish the lake was closer," she sighed, "I'm only here when you come around."

"Why not come with your mum or Nana?" Esme asked, floating on her back nearby.

"For one thing, Nana's blinder than a bat," she said, "And secondly, Mum doesn't like your family, remember? She makes it very well known whenever you lot come to town."

"She's only mad because we take some of your customers," Esme told her.

"Not all of them," Lily sneered, "Everybody knows you Lees are a bunch of frauds."

"What are you saying?" Esme swam towards the shallow end of the pool, the water around her thighs. Hands on hips, she gave a mischievous smirk, "You saying we're a bunch of swindlers, eh?"

Lily stood up and walked to her, stifling a giggle, "What if I am? What are you gonna do, Lee? Shake a bag of stones at me?"

"No, I'm going to do this!"

She splashed water at Lily, hitting her chest and face. Lily let go of her laugh and returned the splash.

"Bunch of crooks!" Lily chuckled, pushing more water.

"Filthy witches!"

Lily shoved Esme into the deeper end and tackled her. They tried pushing one another for a good while, pressing hands on hands. Esme would splash her for a distraction and send her into the water, and Lily would take a mouthful of water to spit at her. Their giggling and screaming caught the attention of the men on the lake shore. Lily didn't mind their ogling. She didn't care.

The two girls played until they heard spatter coming from nearby. Lily turned her head and saw a boy guiding a white horse into the water. She stared for a moment, watching the boy dip a cloth into the water and begin washing the horse's silver coat. The animal was beautiful. He stood calmly as the boy carefully washed him.

The horse turned its head as much as it could, one of its eyes on her. She smiled. It snorted. _'Are you the one from the vision?'_ she wondered.

She remembered Nana's vision. She remembered the prince with the white horse. Lily spent hours of her childhood dreaming of this prince and his horse. She'd picture him dressed like the princes in storybooks. He'd have a golden crown, a military uniform and a face carved by angels. Her mother told her she shouldn't have such high hopes. There were many men with white horses in the world. What were the odds she'd bump into _**the**_ one? Nana told her Mum was right; future isn't set in stone and neither are visions. She saw what she saw and she said what she saw. Mum said that was her way of saying 'It's not my fault if your fortune doesn't happen.'

Magic is often filled with unsatisfied customers.

Yet, she doubted this young boy was her prince. Lily looked back to Esme who wringed out her braid. "Who's horse is that?" she asked.

"Johnny's I think," Esme answered. "It's beautiful isn't it?"

"It is," she agreed.

"You made it look at you, didn't you?"

"No. You know I don't have magic," she said.

"But you said you're from a line of witches," Esme said, "So how can you not have magic?"

She hesitated. Nana always said it was best to keep family secrets as they are. It didn't help if the Romani or the Irish clans knew too much about them. She felt safe telling Esme though. "Lines get diluted over the years with witches branching out and marrying regular people," she told her. "Now a Cary either gets magic or gets little traces instead."

"But you can do spells and make potions and things," she said. "I've seen you do them."

"Like I said," Lily sighed, "Traces of magic."

She then saw a black car stopping a few feet away from the encampment. Three men stepped out of the car, wearing long coats and peaked flat caps. Lily's heart skipped a beat. She watched Johnny meet up with one of them. He wore a long black coat over a suit, and she spotted him puffing a cigarette.

"My mum told me sometimes witches marry into Romani or Irish clans," Esme continued. "They marry to make peace. Do you think that could happen between you and my brother? We'd be proper sisters then."

The idea made Lily smile, but she shook her head. "No, Antony isn't made for me."

"Made for you?"

"Who are they, Esme?" Lily asked.

Esme's face fell. She tightly took hold of Lily's hand. "Those are the Shelby men," she answered, "They're Peaky Blinders."

"Peaky Blinders?" Lily said, "Sounds silly to me."

"They keep razor blades in the peaks of their caps," she said. "They can blind people with them."

"Hm, makes sense I suppose."

"They're friendly with Johnny, but not so much with my family. We've been disputing for years. I'd suggest you stay with me until they leave. Things can get ugly quick."

Shelby. She'd heard that name before but couldn't place anywhere in particular. She watched the boy guide the horse back towards the caravans. He tied him to one of the caravans, and let it eat hay from the feed bag. Lily stood in the water, half dressed and soaking wet, watching the man examine the horse. He ran his hand over the silver white coat, and lifted one of the legs. He checked the horse's eyes and looked at it overall. Lily's heart skipped another beat.

"Is Johnny selling that horse by any chance?" she asked Esme.

"Hell if I know," the girl replied, "Maybe."

"If he sells it that means that man will own the horse? Like, it would belong to him?"

Esme snickered, "That's usually how it works. Yeah, it'd be his horse."

Lily studied him from afar. She couldn't see his face from that distance, but she could feel him. This warm, funny feeling inside her brought pink to her cheeks. Her palms sweated and she couldn't fight the urge. She turned to Esme, "I've been in the water long enough. How about you?"

Esme gave her a questioning look, but then grinned widely, "The same. We can dry up by the fire and the caravans."

The two girls walked out of the lake and picked up their clothes. When they reached Erasmus and his brothers, she saw the oldest of the Lee brothers stand up straight.

"What's she doing here?" Erasmus asked, black hair tucked under a peaked cap and hands in his grey trousers, "And why you both of you naked?"

"We're not naked," Esme spat back, "And Lily is my friend, so she can be here if she wants."

"We're going to dry off," Lily added, "And then sit with you boys by the fire."

"The hell you will," the bald one said. "I ain't sharing a fire with no witch."

"Be careful what you say," Lily said, "You might end up with a pig's tail and a snout, though I doubt it'd make a difference. You could finally fit in with your brethren in the pig pen."

Esme and the others laughed. Lily saw the Blinder looking at her, hands in his pockets and an amused smirk on his face. The warmth spread and she knew it wasn't the sun. The bald brother came over to her. "I ain't afraid of you, little girl," he glared. "I don't care what kind of magic shit your family says they got. I'm not afraid."

"Not afraid, huh?"

It took energy, but she snapped her fingers and their fire burst for a moment. The Lees around the fire backed away. The bald one in front of her stepped away. "You bloody witches and your cheap tricks," he spat, coming closer to her. "I ought to find some hunters and then we'd be rid of you lot."

"You wouldn't dare," she said, "Because then you wouldn't become a pig. You'd be dead."

"Lily, Lily," Esme stood in between them, "Let's go dry off, okay? No disputing. Come on."

Esme walked her away towards the caravan, leaving their clothes inside as they wiped themselves down. If she could've, she would have let some of that fire burn his backside. She'd see how tough he was then when he runs into the lake to put out the flames. She could feel the Blinder's eyes on her. She let him look. Lily occasionally looked at him as Johnny hopped into the car and started the engine.

"Thought you said you couldn't do magic," Esme teased, running the cloth on her arms.

Lily wiped her legs, and smiled, "Lighting fires is nothing. I can only do small things."

She remembered her mother's disappointment when Lily's powers didn't blossom. She didn't blame it on Lily, of course. She supposed it'd be for the best. Nana said there was no shame in being half-blooded. At least she could do small things, unlike some of her cousins who can't do anything at all.

"He's looking at you," Esme said, drawing closer to her.

"I know."

He's the man with the white horse. She knew he was. She could feel it in her bones. She finished drying off and made her way towards the fire.

"That was a nice trick you pulled," he said as she walked by the horse.

Lily stopped and faced him, "I suppose. It's simple really."

"What did you do? Throw powder into the fire when they weren't looking?"

He was handsome. A face of hard lines and striking blue eyes studying her, he was definitely handsome. His high cheek bones and pouty lips enticed her right away. His eyes were beautiful, but cold like ice. She never imagined her prince having such cold eyes. They were always warm and kind. He stared at her for a good while, and she returned the stare. Could he feel the energy too or was she alone? Was she wrong about him? Was he not her prince? Lily walked closer to him, "How could I toss powder into the fire if I was far away from it?"

"Wind's flowing from the west," he said, "Going eastward. If you pinched some powder, it'd fly straight into the fire."

She laughed, "That's a bit tricky, isn't it? I doubt a few specks could do that."

"Well, I hear you witches have your ways," he said. "My mother used to say you lot were the best tricksters in the world."

"I don't know about that," she said, "I was just lucky some gristle fell into the fire at the right time, I guess." She approached his horse and stroked its nose. The horse ate calmly and didn't mind her touch. Lily's only magical ability, if one could call it ability. Animals enjoyed her energy.

"Gristle you happened to see from far away?"

She nodded, tapping underneath her eyes, "Good eyesight, you see." She giggled, and looked back to the horse. "Did you mother not like witches?"

"No," he shook his head, "She was gypsy."

Lily paused. No. It couldn't be true. The vision said nothing about his family being Romani. "And your father?"

He snorted, "No. I'm only half." He looked over at her, putting a cigarette between his teeth and lighting it. "And you?"

"Oh, I'm not a witch," she lied. "Witches are scary…from what I heard anyways."

He wasn't convinced. "How can you not be a witch if you're Lydia Cary's child?"

How could he know that? "Well, I heard it skips generations. I'm sure you don't have any gypsy magic in you." Oh, she hoped this was true. "You know like you don't really believe in all that magic stuff." He didn't seem the type to believe in anything.

He took a drag of his cigarette, then said, "I might. I never tried."

Disappointment filled her stomach. She'd hoped so high that he was her prince. She felt the energy in the air. It flowed through the space between them. Why would she feel that if he was her prince? "Is this yours?" she said, changing subject to the horse.

He didn't point it out. "It is now," he said.

"It's beautiful," she said. "Does he have a name yet?"

"No, he doesn't," he shook his head.

"A pretty boy should have a name," she told him. "I'd name him Winter's Morning if I was you."

"Really?"

"Yes, cause of his coat and mane," she said. "It's like morning snow. Then again, that's just me. You can name him whatever you like."

"I only name my horses before I race them," he said.

"You race them?" When he nodded, she said, "That's a shame. A boy like this should be ridden properly by a real rider. Not by some jockey who wouldn't appreciate him."

He didn't say anything. He watched her caress and admire the horse. She could feel its heartbeat beneath her fingers and sense its tranquility. He was content. He didn't want to be raced. He was used to the fresh air and fields of grass. She knew he wouldn't like being in the city beyond where there's nothing but smoke and noise. Lily looked into his eyes. She felt his sadness. She sensed his worry.

"I know," she whispered, petting his mane, "I know. You'll be okay."

"Are witches normally so good with horses?" he asked.

She laughed, "I wouldn't know. I'm not a witch."

"And I'm not a gypsy."

"Tommy!" the Blinder with mustache and a bow tie called him, "We can't stand here all day! We gotta head to The Fair! Let's go. Come on."

Tommy only nodded. Lily couldn't help gazing at him and had a feeling he felt the same. "I never got your name," he said.

"Lily," she said.

"Lily…" he repeated as if he were savoring the word. "Perhaps we'll meet again someday," he said, mounting the horse.

"Perhaps," she nodded. "Take care of him," she added, "He isn't used to the city. He might need time to adjust." She was sure he knew that, but she wanted him to stay a little longer.

"I'll be gentle with him," he said.

Lily watched him snap the reins and the horse moved forward. She sighed. She wasn't sure whether he was her prince or not. In the end it didn't matter either way. Her prince was a childhood dream that wasn't even real. She was silly for thinking he wouldn't be Romani, even if it was half like her. Once he was far off, she joined Esme on the grass and bathed under the sun.


End file.
